Swiss ski resort bans Saint Bernard selfies

Follow the author of this article

A photo like the one above, depicting the iconic Saint Bernard mountain rescue dogs, often in front of the snowcapped Matterhorn, has long been a must-have souvenir in the Swiss ski resort of Zermatt.

But after allegations from a Swiss animal protection group that the former search and rescue dogs were being mistreated, the Valaisresort has banned selfies with Saint Bernards.

The Swiss Animal Protection Agency (SAP) said the dogs were kept "in miserable conditions", made to stay outside to pose in the cold without adequate food or water for long periods and not taken for walks frequently enough.

Five of the Zermatt-based dogs were kept "in miserable conditions and against animal protection laws" in a dilapidated house, according to the SAP, which filed a formal complaint against a business offering tourists photos with Saint Bernards. The organisation has been investigating the treatment of the dogs since 2012.

In response, the resort of Zermatt banned tourist pictures with the dogs. Zermatt's mayor, Christoph Bürgin, told Swiss radio station Walliser Bote: "No Saint Bernard dogs will be used for photo shoots with tourists on the peaks of Gornergrat and Sunnegga.

"We have been able to convince providers that it is not right to continue to offer pictures in that way."

The Saint Bernard is Switzerland's national breed of dog (Photo: Getty)

He said some contracts with Japanese visitors "may involve one or more photo shoots this summer" but that the practice will be eradicated by next season.

The SAP, which has offered to house any mistreated Saint Bernards, said: "Zermatt has shown that it loves animals and it will put an end to the contemptible and dangerous shows these dogs were made part of by being used as tourist props.

"For several years, the SAP has criticised the conditions in which these animals are kept, and time and time again has complained about those who keep the animals in captivity, for their violation of laws on the protection of animals.

"The SAP will continue to do all it can to make sure these dogs, which at the moment are housed in a condemned building in miserable conditions, are kept in comfortable conditions that meet their needs."

Saint Bernards were originally bred in the Swiss Alps for mountain rescue, used to help find lost people after bad snowstorms using their superior sense of direction and resistance to the cold. They have since ceased to be used for Alpine rescue, and are now a symbol of Swiss mountain heritage. The barrel often seen around their necks traditionally contained liquor to warm up travellers trapped on the mountain, according to legend.